Three Bayern takeaways: Kompany should have rotated | OneFootball

FC Bayern drops points for the first time this season at Union Berlin. FCBinside provides three insights from the match.

Bayern managed only one point in the capital with a 2-2 draw. The game provided the following insights:

1. Kompany should have rotated

With the draw in Berlin, Bayern's historic winning streak has ended. After 16 consecutive competitive victories, the Munich team only secured a point at Union. And that was in the last minute thanks to Harry Kane's late equalizer, otherwise, it would have been their first defeat.

Especially in the first half-hour, Bayern was weak and inferior to the hosts. The team appeared tired and overplayed. Coach Vincent Kompany surprised with his starting lineup – with only one change compared to the 2-1 victory at Paris Saint-Germain: Leon Goretzka started instead of Aleksandar Pavlovic. The performance in Berlin showed that Kompany should have rotated more extensively.

The battle on Tuesday at Parc des Princes against one of Europe's best teams had taken a lot of energy. It's possible that the players themselves declared they were ready before the game at the Alte Försterei. Joshua Kimmich, for example, announced right after the final whistle in Paris to the gathered journalists in the mixed zone that he definitely wanted to play in Berlin. But even he – like most of Bayern's key players on the field – showed signs of lacking energy.

It was telling that the strongest FCB player on the field was Luis Diaz, who had given himself a half-time rest in the locker room with his red card in Paris. Kompany probably thought his players could mobilize their last reserves before the international break. But that didn't work anymore. Kompany could have started with players like Minjae Kim, Sacha Boey, Lennart Karl, or Nicolas Jackson, who all should have been fresh. The regulars could have been substituted in later.

On the other hand, Goretzka as the only fresh player could not impress in Berlin – and hindsight is always 20/20. In the end, the point loss was not a disaster for Bayern. Goal scorer Kane said shortly after his equalizer on Sky about the broken winning streak: "Of course we want to win every game, but such a streak can also build pressure." His conclusion: "Maybe it's not so bad that it ends now – as long as it's not with a defeat."

2. Neuer is not infallible

Manuel Neuer has been playing a fabulous season so far. Everyone assumes that the then 40-year-old will extend his stay at FC Bayern for another year. His contract might even be extended by another year by the end of the year. Even at an advanced football age, Neuer performs at the highest level. But in Berlin, he reminded us that he is not infallible.

The goal for 0-1 was his fault. Neuer let the relatively weak shot from Danilho Doekhi slip under his body. The Bayern captain was self-critical after the game: "I obviously had my share in the first goal," he said on Sky. "The view wasn't perfect for me, but I made the wrong decision."

Kompany defended Neuer: "What do you think I would answer to this question?" the coach responded when asked about Neuer's mistake: "That I would say something against my number one? Certainly not."

3. Set pieces can be Bayern's downfall

Both goals conceded in Berlin came from set pieces – the 1-0 by Doekhi after a corner, the second goal by the double scorer after a long free kick. Previously, the ball had already landed in Bayern's net after a corner, but Berlin's Ilyas Ansah was about a millimeter offside, so the goal didn't count.

Overall, a weakness in Bayern's defense against opponent set pieces is noticeable. Even in the 4-1 victory in the DFB-Pokal in Cologne, the Kompany team fell behind after a corner and had problems with further set pieces. Bayern needs to be particularly cautious in the future.

IMAGO

Most teams – actually all at the moment – are inferior to Bayern in terms of play. However, set pieces can be a way to hurt the Kompany team. A defeat in the next encounter with Union at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei would be particularly painful: On December 3, Munich has to return there for the DFB-Pokal. After that, Bayern wants to return to Berlin in this competition, namely for the final at the Olympic Stadium. Therefore, they should not allow such weaknesses in defending set pieces against Union again.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.